


Planes, Trains, & Submarines

by NachoDiablo



Series: SamSteve KinderCap AU [4]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Captain America Sam Wilson, Fluff, M/M, Modern Steve Rogers, Post-Serum Steve Rogers, Teacher Steve Rogers, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-04
Updated: 2020-07-04
Packaged: 2021-03-05 04:00:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,683
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25078030
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NachoDiablo/pseuds/NachoDiablo
Summary: Sam stops by Steve's classroom to drop off his lunch.
Relationships: Steve Rogers/Sam Wilson
Series: SamSteve KinderCap AU [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1628230
Comments: 18
Kudos: 64
Collections: SamSteve Vacation Week





	Planes, Trains, & Submarines

**Author's Note:**

> Today is Steve's birthday, he deserves some sweet SamSteve to celebrate <3
> 
> This is part of a series following teacher Steve and Cap Sam. You can read it on its own but I recommend you check out the previous fics in the series for context.

Steve glanced up at the clock over the door. Seventeen minutes until lunchtime. He smiled and leaned down to help Ashley with her glue stick and warned Nate to keep his eraser out of his mouth. Seventeen minutes of paper flower collages, then the kids would be marched down to the cafeteria and then outside for recess, and Steve would be free for a whole hour to eat his own lunch.

And his lunch would be delivered by Steve’s very own boyfriend, Captain America Sam Wilson, who had spent last night curled up in Steve’s arms. He was currently en route from Steve’s apartment with the tupperware container filled with leftover pasta that Steve had forgotten in the fridge that morning. In Steve’s defense, Sam had distracted him with goodbye kisses as he’d tried to make his way out the door, so it was his fault that Steve had left his lunch behind.

“Mr. Rogers?” A small hand tugged on Steve’s wrist as Michelle looked up at him with wide eyes. “I need to go to the bathroom.”

“I need to go, too,” chimed in at least three distinct voices at each work table.

“It’s almost time for lunch,” Steve said. His voice calm, but raised so it would carry across the classroom. “Miss Davis will take you to the bathroom after you line up.”

It had been the daily routine since the start of the school year. At eleven forty five, the kids lined up along the front of the classroom, and the kindergarten teachers’ aide walked them to the cafeteria and assisted those who needed to use the restroom. It was also routine that at eleven thirty eight, at least half the kids would insist that they had to use the restroom  _ right now  _ in an attempt to get to lunch a few precious minutes earlier.

“Mr. Rogers!” Nate’s voice pierced through the room as he waved a half-eaten eraser at the window. “It’s Cap!”

Twenty one pairs of feet scampered towards the window as the kids waved and called their greetings to Sam, who was walking towards the front entrance. He was dressed in his own clothes, jeans and a dark blue long sleeved t-shirt, so Steve surmised that he must have made a stop at his own apartment for a change of clothes. He was also carrying a brown paper takeout bag from Steve’s favorite sushi place, which Steve hoped contained something more exciting than leftover pasta.

Steve checked the clock again, then turned his attention back to the kids. “Okay, listen up. Everyone line up now, so that we’re ready to say hi to Cap. And then Miss Davis will take you to lunch after.” He gestured to the front of the room. “Come on, hurry up, but be careful.”

His warning fell on deaf ears as the kids rushed to the front of the room. Yet another daily routine was the cutthroat debate as to who got which place in line. The most coveted spots, of course, were the first and last places.

Everyone was more or less in their claimed spot when Sam knocked on the doorframe with a smile. “Hello, everyone, good to see you again.”

“Hey, Cap,” Nate called casually from the middle of the line. Sam nodded in greeting, then waved to the rest of the kids in line. Each kid was excitedly holding their hand up to wave back, many on tiptoes or bouncing in place. The line grew steadily wobblier as the kids got rammier, despite Steve’s stern glances. Which, to be fair, weren't very stern, since he couldn’t stop smiling at the sight of Sam working his way down the line to high five each kid.

His aide, Miss Davis, had shown up as well. She stood in the doorway, watching Sam with an expression that tried and failed to be nonchalant. Before Steve could give her the okay to take the kids to lunch, Ashley burst into sobs.

“Hey, there.” Sam knelt down in front of Ashley. “What’s the matter?”

Ashley’s lower lip trembled. Steve noticed that despite the sniffles, no actual tears had appeared. “I-- I wanted to be the caboose today!” 

“The caboose?” Sam asked. “You wanted to be the last one in line?”

Ashley nodded. Steve groaned inwardly. This was his own fault. On the third day of school, Nate and Michelle had been entangled in a bitter debate over who got to be first in line. Steve had quickly led Michelle to the end of the line and assured her that the last place was special, too, like the caboose car on a train.

It had worked; the kids had loved hollering the word  _ caboose. _ But now Steve was plagued with a fight at each end of the line, rather than just one at the front. There had also been an increase in train noises en route to lunch each day, but that was Miss Davis’ problem.

“It’s fine,” Steve said firmly. “It’s Jared’s turn to be the caboose. You can have your turn tomorrow.” 

“But it’s not fair!” Ashley wailed. She shook her head so hard that her braid smacked a smug Jared in the shoulder. “Jared was the caboose three times last week! And Cap’s here! I want to be the caboose  _ today!” _

Steve was fairly certain that was not accurate, but he knew it would be pointless to argue. Instead, he frowned at her and shook his head. “You can have your turn tomorrow,” he repeated in his sternest teacher’s voice. “Today is Jared’s turn.”

“I have an idea.” Sam smiled at Ashley, and Steve gritted his teeth in frustration. He wanted to catch Sam’s eye and telepathically warn him not to give her any special treatment. Anything Ashley got, each kid would demand the exact same. And if there was even the slightest hint of unfairness, the tantrums would begin.

Unfortunately Sam was not yet aware of the terrors that twenty one kindergartners could unleash. He was also extremely kindhearted. And not looking in Steve’s direction. He was doomed.

“If you can’t be a caboose today, maybe you can be an airplane.” 

Ashley’s eyes widened. Sam smiled and reached out his arms. “Come on, turn around and arms up.”

Dutifully, Ashley turned and raised her arms. Carefully, but without hesitation, Sam picked her up and held her over his head. He walked her a few feet down the line, then back again, making airplane noises while Ashley giggled. 

He set Ashley down, gentle and steady. Her feet had barely touched the ground before she blurted out, “I wanna fly again!”

“Ashley,” Steve scolded. “That’s enough. Say thank you to Cap and then--”

“I wanna fly, too!” Jared exclaimed, his caboose victory already forgotten. “Around the  _ whole  _ room!”

“Me, too!”

“--and me, too!”

“Me, me, me too!”

“Cap, me too, please--”

Twenty one pairs of hands swarmed Sam, patting his arms and waving for attention. Sam looked up at Steve with panic in his eyes. Steve cleared his throat in preparation to get things under control, but before he could speak, Sam stood up and crossed his arms. The kids immediately fell mostly silent, even as they continued to jostle each other.

“Alright,” Sam said in his kindest Cap voice, the one he used for PSAs. “Here’s the plan. Everyone get back in line, and I’ll take you each around the room for one flight. And then you have to be good for Mr. Rogers and Miss Davis for the rest of the day.”

Cheers rang out as the kids hurried back into their line, much less wobbly than it had been originally. Starting with the caboose, Sam picked up each child and flew them around the perimeter of the room. He did a few extra dips for the kids who got into the whole airplane gimmick, and he was steadier with the nervous kids. A couple did not want to be so high in the air, so Sam held them against his chest and “co-piloted” an imaginary plane with them. 

Nate insisted that he wanted to be a submarine, but thankfully Sam had wised up and declared firmly that today was for planes only. He promised to return, possibly with Nat and Monica, for submarine rides in the future.

Watching Sam being so careful and attentive with his kids had Steve melting into a puddle of sappy affection for his boyfriend. The way Sam’s biceps flexed through the thin fabric of his shirt was an added bonus. Steve caught Miss Davis’ eye; she grinned and waggled her eyebrows, and he smirked in return. Sam was a catch; Steve had no problem acknowledging it.

“Alright, time for lunch.” Steve glanced at the clock as the last kid scampered back into line. They were only thirty minutes behind schedule. Not that it mattered; Steve was certain that after the excitement of the morning, the kids would be impossible. He’d scrap the lesson plans and let them work on their collages until the end of the day.

Steve was proud to note that each kid called out a thank you to Sam as the line wound its way out into the hall. Once the caboose had left the room, Steve closed the door with a sigh of relief.

“Do I finally get some one-on-one time with the teacher now?” Sam’s voice was warm and low against Steve’s neck as he wrapped his arms around Steve’s waist.

Steve chuckled and leaned back against Sam’s chest. “Can’t get too intense right now; the kids might come in.”

“My arms are about to cramp anyway,” Sam admitted. “I don’t know how an hour with your kids wears me out more than a full day of training.”

“They’re very skilled.” Steve turned and rested his hands on Sam’s hips. “I can give you a massage later. If you wanna spend the night again.”

Sam grinned and kissed the tip of Steve’s nose. “Sounds perfect.”

Steve pulled Sam in for a slightly less chaste kiss. He agreed; any evening spent with Sam in his arms would absolutely be perfect.

**Author's Note:**

> The Legend of the Caboose is based on true events. RIP to my sister but also thanks for sharing the story.


End file.
